The cybercrime police in Coimbatore have arrested five persons for allegedly defrauding a non-resident Indian (NRI) from the city of ₹27.45 lakh on the pretext of facilitating online and cryptocurrency trading.The police said that unidentified individuals contacted an NRI from Vadavalli in Coimbatore through social media. They lured him with promises of high returns if he invested in online and cryptocurrency trading, subsequently defrauding him of ₹ 27,45,800. The cybercrime police were on the lookout for the fraudsters.Investigators found that Vasanth (20) of Arivoli Nagar, Ajal (22) of Kovaipudur, Janagan (23) of Konganagiri in Tiruppur district, Bharath (26) of Palladam and Udayakumar (38) of Mayiladuthurai were involved the fraud.According to the police, Bharath misused the identity documents of several people to obtain over 250 SIM cards that were used for the fraud. Udayakumar was found to have opened multiple bank accounts with the help of others and shared the credentials with individuals abroad to facilitate the scam, the police said.The investigation also showed that over 15 complaints were pending against the accused in at least nine States. The police said that five men were lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison after their arrests and remand recently. Published - July 15, 2026 07:55 pm IST